Woman killed in shootout was on police list of ‘most wanted’

The woman who was among the three people gunned down in Nakuru at the weekend, was on the police’s list of most wanted criminals.

The three were killed at Kibunja on the Nakuru-Eldoret highway on Sunday.

Nakuru police boss Bernard Kioko said the woman was included on their list after victims identified her as the leader of a gang behind a number of robberies. She was linked to last year’s abduction of a university lecturer in Eldoret whose bank accounts were cleaned by the gang that kept on demanding ransom.

Mr Kioko described the killing of the woman as a major step in the fight against violent robberies.

The search for other members of the gang believed to be hiding in various townships was continuing, he said.

“Police officers eventually cornered them. The woman and her two accomplices engaged the officers in a fierce shootout when they were ordered to stop. All the three were most wanted gangsters and we are optimistic that we shall get to know their source of firearms and ammunition,” he said.

LECTURER ABDUCTED

In the early Sunday morning incident, police recovered 150 rounds of ammunition and an AK-47 rifle.

Last September, a lecturer at Moi University and his wife were abducted on their way to their home in Elgon View Estate.

They were taken round several banks in Eldoret and Nakuru where their ATM cards were used to withdraw money.

The gang later demanded Sh3 million ransom before the couple could be released

This prompted the police to launch a special operation to track down the woman and her accomplices.

“We shall keep the public posted as we close in on more members of the gang,” said Mr Kioko, adding that investigations were going on.

He said that police had also recovered a salon car used by the three.